The Bestselling Cars From the Past 46 Years

Counting Cars

In 1978, cars still burned leaded gasoline and came standard with cigarette lighters and ashtrays. Today, drivers are lured into dealerships by electric vehicles, rear cross-traffic alert systems, and adaptive cruise control. The past 46 years have been some of the most consequential in automotive history, and this list examines the most popular passenger car — not trucks, SUVs, motorcycles or other vehicles — from every year in terms of domestic sales.